Contributed Post
Houseplants are a beautiful way of bringing a bit of nature to our modern tech-heavy homes. They also help supply oxygen to our homes, as well as purifying the air, fighting off diseases and even helping us to work more efficiently by increasing memory retention.
Of course, just like garden plants, they need to be looked after. Here are some tips to help keep your houseplants healthy (and don’t forget to check out this guide from Groom + Style for more tips).
Light
The amount of light needed varies from plant to plant. Flowering plants generally need the most. Other plants can get away with a more indirect light and can scorch if exposed to too much direct sun, some examples of this being succulents and carnivorous plants. You can generally tell from lack of colour and poor flowering whether a plant needs more light. Conservatories and windowsills are the most obvious locations for getting a rich source of light, however you can buy artificial LED lights for the job too. These come in different strengths and can be set up differently for different plants (check this site for more helpful tips on artificial lighting).
Watering
Most plants are killed from overwatering as opposed to neglect. You should wait until the compost is almost dry before watering – push your finger into the compost and you will be able to tell. Summer and Spring are the seasons in which you’ll need to water your plants the most – in winter many plants need little watering. Tap water is all you’ll need in most cases, although some plants such as orchids may be fussier.
When going on holiday, there’s generally no need to invite someone over to feed your plants – most house shrubs can survive a couple weeks without watering. If you want to be extra safe, you can move plants into the bath where the humidity should keep them from withering.
Pruning & cleaning
Some plants need to be regularly pruned to stop them going crazy. Sometimes moving a plant to a different light source can cause it to grow in a different direction, creating wayward branches that need to be clipped.
Some plants will shed leaves that you may need to clean up (although few are as messy as Christmas trees). However, your main cleaning job when it comes to plants is dusting. Other than looking unsightly, dust on leaves can prevent growth by reducing the amount of sunlight that the plant receives.
Pests
All plants can be prone to parasites. Not only are bugs creepy to look at, but they can stump your plant’s growth. Tufts and white fluff can indicate wooly aphids and mealy bugs. These pests survive by sucking the sap out of your houseplants but can be easily removed with soap spray. Some plants can suffer from tiny limpet-like bugs on the leaves and stems. These can be removed by gently rubbing with cotton wool. Tiny red spider mites can also cause outbreaks on certain parts of the plant. You should get rid of these by cutting off the affected part of the plant.
